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Archive for July, 2007

The school hols are well and truely here. We’re one week in and I’m still not on holiday even if my daughter is. My work and emails are so stacked up, but fortunately even my mum doesn’t think I’m a failure, she reckons I’m behind because of my daughters pneumonia earlier on this year, and I have to say I think she’s right. All those days spent in hospital and at home caring for a convalescing child meant that I didn’t get any torching time in, and when I did, well, remember the kiln problems? Also my mind was on more important things, family health means so much and can’t help but take priority. Still, I’m much less stressed now, having finished my do’s for now, although we do have the GBUK bead fair looming at the end of August.

The design fair at Winchester is over, we went down on Friday as I was stewarding and made a family day of it. The city is lovely, I didn’t see much, but what I did looked nice. Also the work in the show was lovely and I saw several items that I could have spent my money on. Thank you to every one who came to see my work and those of you who came to say hello to me on Friday, it was lovely to meet you.

We have our book! We decided to live dangerously and go to Waterstone’s at midnight for a bit of fun. It was an interesting experience, with youths in cars slowing down to shout funny stuff out of the window at the queue. We waited 1 hour in the cold and dark to collect our book, with a small witch at our side, and when we were given our book in a black plastic bag and asked where the posh orange paper bags were, the manageress replied ‘we have to save some for the people coming in the morning that couldn’t come tonight’. I’m sorry, but what’s that all about? Surely if we make the effort to stand in the cold and dark at midnight we should reap the benefits, not the lazy dudes who couldn’t be bothered, or who didn’t care less, or just couldn’t make it. It’s a shame if they wanted to get there but circumstances were against them, but we were there! Tch. lol.

and Potter mania is well and truly here (together with the rain). What we want to know is how much effort goes into organising the distribution of the new books by the posties. We know that Royal Mail lost the contract to one of their competitors (a quick chat to our friendly postie told us that) but they will still end up posting all the books anyway but get less money for it. How daft is that? So my questions are ‘do they employ more postmen for the day? What about the poor chaps who go on bikes down remote lanes? What happens if a few really remote houses down a bridle path have all ordered 10 copies each? Do the Royal Mail know well in advance where the books are going to be delivered so they can get extra staff where needed?’ I can see it now, Mr postie on his bike wobbling down the path with 300 Potter books on his back. How do they know where the bulk of the orders are, and if they’re not in places where people don’t normally get much post? So does everyone who pre-ordered (including us!) get their book on Saturday, or do lots of people have to wait for the cogs of the system to cope with the extra bulk? For us it’s a trot down to our local friendly Waterstones amid the wizards and witches at midnight, although I think I’d rather be tucked up in bed, especially if it’s chucking it down like it is at the moment.

What I do find bizarre is the people who wait all this time for the story, then speed read it. Where’s the fun in that? Surely you want the enjoyment to last as long as possible? I know I always have to force myself to put the books down, but speed reading! It’s certainly a dilemma, you want to enjoy the book for as long as possible, but on the other hand you just HAVE to know what’s going to happen next. JK has certainly crafted a wonderful series of books, and I’m going to miss them. I wonder what she’ll come up with next?

I keep thinking it’s Friday! Probably because normally that’s the day I tidy up (yes, I know, you thought I didn’t do that), fill the car with stuff for recycling at the dump and generally try to get some sort of order (I say ‘some’ because things are never completely ordered here…..talking to other artists and creative people, they seem to have the same problem). I shouldn’t really tell you this….but there’s stuff EVERYWHERE…..on the floor, the setees, dining table, desk, hall…………………………packages arrived for me to make my jewellery and beads, got unwrapped and have stayed where they were dumped, until today. ‘BLITZ the place’ is my battle cry! Well I’d love to do that, but can you really honestly see me managing it? lol. On telly the other day we saw a really appropriate quote – ‘I tidied up last week, but you missed it’, ha ha. Still, I can see the carpet again in a few places, and the numerous cardboard boxes complete with flo-pac and bubble wrap are gradually being flattened and stuffed in the car.

Of course all this tidying activity is only possible now because my desperate deadlines have passed at last. Phew, that was a really hard slog this time. You can see my efforts at Winchester Cathedral at the Contemporary Art, Craft & Design Fair that starts Saturday 21st July and finishes on Sunday 29th July.

Whatcha! The last 3 days I’ve had a ball. And how’s that? Remember all those things I had to stuff into July? Well, I managed 2 of the 3 days on the Art Clay course, and I didn’t get to the Hampton Court flower show, but I have just completed 3 consecutive days on a course colouring anodised aluminium. It was so much fun, even though I’d done it before several years ago (I hadn’t realised just how long ago until I pulled out my notes to get some dying ideas). Of course I was just getting really revved up with ideas and loads of inspiring stuff to try when we had to finish. Looks like I’ll have to book it again if it runs next year.

Today I have to source and buy materials to make up a demonstration area for making glass beads. I hope to be demonstrating at the Open House and Garden tommorrow, so I’d better get cracking.

At last, a day off. I’m enjoying a leisurely morning on the settee with my feet up and drinking loads of tea. I’ve been working flat out for the last 3 or 4 weeks now and I’m very much in need of some R & R, unfortunately our housework has been AWOl also for the last 3 weeks and is in need of some effort (actually it’s in need of masses of effort). The house truly looks like a bomb exploded, and the kitchen’s even worse, the main problem being that the dishwasher broke down and it all has to be done by hand at the moment. If I hate housework, I hate washing up even more, it’s such a waste of time, and there’s always something more important or fun to do. So unfortunately my day isn’t going to be a complete rest (even though I’m also struggling with a cold) but will be interspersed with washing clothes and the occasional bouts of tidying up unless I keep getting woozy cold induced wobbles. Now, if the new Harry Potter book was out already I could be sat here reading that instead……

Thank you to everyone who came and said hello yesterday at the Lingfield bead fair, it’s so good to see old friends and students and to meet new ones. This is what really makes these days so enjoyable for me, even if the drinks machine in the restaurant did break down for the second year running…do you suppose they say this because they want to go home early, or do bead ladies and gents drink more tea?

The Open Houses and Studios has also got off to a good start. Saturday saw Claire stone carving most of the day, while I sat and made up some of my earrings and phone dangles for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I hope to be making glass beads in the garden next Saturday and maybe Sunday morning, so please pop along to see how it’s done and say hello. There will also be some watercolour painting and textile work being done next weekend (but not all at the same time!). This is such a good opportunity to see collections of work in a very informal environment and there are several venues around Horsham and Worthing that are also taking part, so make time next weekend for a tour of the West Sussex studios. Festival Brochures are available around the county in Tourist information centres and libraries, or you can download one from this site Artists and Makers. The information postcards around also feature a necklace by yours truly.

I thought I’d stick my head in and quickly say ‘Hi’, in case you were wondering where I’d got to. Things are very hot here at the moment while I’m rushing around getting ready for Open Houses which starts this Saturday and the Lingfield Bead fair, this Sunday. My cabinet of goodies for the Open Houses is coming together nicely but needs to be ready Wednesday evening to put up Thursday morning. I’m also trying to squeeze in some beadmaking for Sunday. I hope you’ll come and say hello at one of these events. Mush dash!